Midweek

13 November 2013

by Yu Shing Ting

When Hawaii Five-O star Alex O’Loughlin moved to Hawaii, he met MMA champion Egan Inoue and quickly discovered a passion for jiujitsu. “BJJ (Brazil jiujitsu) is something I’ve wanted to learn for many years, and I’m glad I started in the hands of Egan,”notes O’Loughlin, who was introduced to Inoue by Scott Caan. “Over the last few years, I’ve had the chance to travel and roll with a number of different black belts, and through those experiences I’ve been able to see how great Egan’s jiujitsu game is.

“But, above and beyond that, what separates him from other teachers and makes him a master is his spiritual connection to the martial arts. Egan has an innate capacity to impart his life philosophies onto his students, as well as the art itself.”

Inoue, who is a black belt third-degree in jiujitsu, five-time MMA world champion and two-time Brazilian jiujitsu world champion, also offers ‘Egan’s Fit Body Bootcamps’ in Manoa, Kailua, downtown Honolulu and Waipio. He also owns Grappling Unlimited and has relocated his Manoa studio to a larger space at 2700 S. King St.

Inoue is extremely proud of the new gym, called Egan’s Training Center, and especially thankful to O’Loughlin, who was responsible for the fundamental design, layout and materials. “I also organized the construction team,” adds O’Loughlin. “In addition to that, over the last six months or so I’ve worked closely with my friend Steve Finch in updating the artwork for Grappling Unlimited, including a commission samurai piece that now hangs on the back wall.”

The new training center also has a hexagon cage and additional mat space, which O’Loughlin lists as his favorite things, along with a unique concrete bench they poured near the reception desk.

“I train as much as I can. If I could train every day, I would, and sometimes I do but usually a few times a week,” notes O’Loughlin, who is now a blue belt in jiujitsu. “The thing I love most about jiujitsu is that it forces me to be in the moment. I can’t think about the past or the future, only right now. The minute I leave the moment I am being put to sleep.”

The public was invited to a grand reopening Nov. 16 with free 20-minute boot-camp mini sessions at 9 a.m., a keiki bootcamp (ages 4 to 12) at 10 a.m., a bootcamp challenge at 11 a.m. and a jiujitsu seminar taught by Inoue at noon.

Also Nov. 17 2013, Inoue and O’Loughlin teamed up for a women’s self-defense seminar at 1 and 3 p.m. Cost is $300, and all proceeds will be donated to Kapiolani hospital. Only 40 spots are available per seminar.

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Note! A new chance to be taught by Alex!

For those of you who don’t know yet, Alex and Egan will be doing another seminar on 3 May 2015(The date have changed from 26 April to 3 May in the past week – so make sure you have the correct date)

With the last seminar in 2013, Miek wrote us a great story of her experience. She will be going again this year, together with Manu. Chatting with Miek, the subject of asking Alex a question, came up. And we thought it would be fun to ask, all of you, to help Miek and Manu. Given the chance, what would you like to ask Alex? Post your questions in the comments section, or our twitter and FB timelines. We will gather them for Miek and Manu, and they will choose the most interesting ones. Hopefully they will get the chance to ask Alex one or two. So help out the girls. They want your questions. 🙂

If you ever had the chance to meet Alex, what would you really ask him?

I’d probably be to flabbergasted to talk (and I talk for a living!) but I’d like to know what he’d do in the event this is the last season for the show. Would he consider moving back to the mainland to be closer to “work” and what would he like to do – another tv show, a movie, live theater?

Sorry but working in the heart of the theater district in NYC I dream of seeing him on the Broadway stage and within walking distance of me! Sshh, don’t tell anyone, but I’d secretly video his performance for all of you!

I think it is always good to think about something like that beforehand. When one is in a situation like that, it is always good to come prepared with something intelligent to say – I think most of us will just be a big blank when getting there 😀

Wow this is a tricky question. I think I would be too speechless to say anything to him. But I have always wondered what does he want for Mcgarrett? If he could write the show what would he do would be write a real PTSD story, would he give Mcgarrett a love interest or even a dog (or cat)? That’s all I can think of but I really wish I lived in Hawaii. 🙂

I agree Colleen, I would be speechless as well and probably a big patch of water on the floor cause one look from him and I would melt!!! But I would not only ask what he wanted for McGarrett, but also if he preferred the McGarrett in season 1 to the McGarrett we have now, in other words would he prefer Steve to be back to his crazy Navy seal ways. Then after getting the courage to actually speak to him, I’d ask him to prepare himself so that I could jump him! he! he! 🙂 xxxxx
PS – Both of you have a great time and give him a massive hug from all of us!

I have no idea how I will react when meeting Alex this time, it’s going to be so different from SOTB4 and from being a background extra in 2013 🙂 Hopefully after the first moments of starstruckness I’ll get my cool back and the ability to speak English. I’m glad Anne will be there with me so we’ll keep each other grounded.

They say it is good to imagine a group that you need to do a speech for, or need to perform in front of, as naked – then it calms you nerves.
Maybe do that with Alex as well – and maybe you would feel calmer – OR maybe not 😀 😛

If you be able to speak with Alex, here’s my suggestions of questions because i’m sure you will not have time for all:

– What’s his middle name?
– If he misses doing a play and receive the feedback of the audience live?
– What’s travel destination he would like to go?
– And if you have courage, what’s the real size of his back tattoo?

I want to wish you both a wonderful and safe trip, with a lot of fun and enjoy every second of this fantastic experience.